Gradual-reduction mill.



No. 766,278. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. D. R. MORRISON.

GRADUAL REDUCTION MILL.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 10, 1903.

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No. 766,278. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

, D. R. MORRISON.

GRADUAL REDUCTION MILL.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.10, 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

HI Ill No. 766,278. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. D. R. MORRISON.

GRADUAL REDUCTION MILL.

APPLIOATIOH FILED 110110, 1903.

PATBNTED AUG. 2

D. R. MORRISON.

GRADUAL REDUCTION MILL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

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No. 766,278. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904, D. R. MORRISON.

GRADUAL REDUCTION MILL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1903.

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No. 766,278. PATENTBD AUG. 2, 1904. D. R. MORRISON.

GRADUAL REDUCTION MILL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1903.

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IIIH n UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

DUDLEY R. MORRISON, OF HARTFORD CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUPERIOR MILL COMPANY, OF HARTFORD CITY, INDIANA, A CORPO- RATION OF INDIANA.

GRADUAL-REDUCTION MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,278, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed November 10,1903. Serial No. 180,531. No model.)

To all lull/07w it nu/1y concern.-

Be it known that I, DUDLEY R. MoRRIsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford City, in the county of Blackford and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gradual-Reduction Mills, of which the following is a specilication.

The object of this invention is to provide a IO new and improved grinding-mill which is simple and durable in construction, very compact and convenient in arrangement, inexpensive to construct and maintain, effective in operation, and specially designed for grad- 5 ually reducing grain to different degrees of fineness and ultimately to flour and feed.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

Figure l is a front elevation of my complete mill; Fig. 2., an end view looking in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. '1; Fig. 3, avertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. i, a vertical section on the lineid of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, ahorizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. I; Fig. 6, a top plan view of the top screen used in the mill shown in section in Fig. 3; Fig. 7, a detail of the side of a purifier opposite the rolls, showing the horizontal divisions of the sides to permit removal of the latter for free access to the rolls; Fig. 8, one of the side divisions removed; Fig. 9, a transverse section on the line 9 9, showing the back wall of rollhousing; Fig. 10, a detail in side elevation and partial section of one of the hangers for suspending the bolters, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the reciprocating shoe having bottom with adjustable ends.

The wheat from the heater (not shown) is fed through spout 11 into the feeder-cap 12 and thence into the hopper in the feeder-box. The purpose of the cap 12 is to provide a greater bulk or body of wheat for the uniform work of the mill.

At the hopper-outlet is the feeder-roll 13, the shaft of which has a suitable pulley, which is connected by belt with the elevator-shaft 14.

The wheat-regulating valve 15, forming one of the oblique walls of the hopper, is movable in its distance from the feed-roll, so as to regulate the quantity of wheat fed to the mill. It is controlled by the crank-shaft 15*, having an eccentric that is made to bear against the valve 15 and by its position control the valveopening. The shaft is held by any suitable outside lock.

From the feeder-box the wheat is fed into a hopper below, which directs the grain between the crushing-rolls 17 17, which are of usual and well-known construction and adjustment. The grain broken by passing between this first pair of rolls drops upon the screen 18, which is supported by the frame 19. The latter is suspended from the sides 20 of the mill-body by the links 21. This frame 19 is vibrated by its connection by means of rods 22 with revolving eccentrics 23, the mounting of the frame with relation to the links 21 being such that the vibration of the frame will impart a forward movement or movement away from the rolls to the broken grain coincident with an upward bouncing movement to prevent the blinding of the screen and to cause the stock to travel along the screen to the next rolls. The screen is oblique to the horizontal, so as to cause the product from the first set of rolls to be delivered to the tops of the second set mounted on the same plane as the first set. The stock sifting through the screen is deposited upon the solid bottom 2% below, which carries the stock to the outlet 25, whence it is deposited upon a second vibrating screen 26, located underneath said solid bottom 24:.

Owingto the disposition of the broken grain coming from the first rolls 17 to adhere and bunch, thereby making the delivery to the next rolls irregular, I provide longitudinal partitions 27 (see Fig. 6) to divide the mass and to keep it in separate condition while it is passing along the screen. A curtain 28 at the discharge end of the screen keeps the grain from feeding behind the inner roll. The second set of rolls 29 29 still further reduces the stock, and the product therefrom falls upon the aforesaid second screen 26. The latter is mounted in a frame 30, which is suspended by links 31 and which is vibrated by a rod con nection with the eccentric 32. This screen 26 is oblique and slopes in the same direction as does the screen 18; but the suspending-links are oppositely slanted, so as to cause the stock to move toward the lower end of the screen instead of toward the upper end, as is the case with screen 18. The stock thatpasses through the screen is caught by the solid bottom 32, down which it travels and from which it is deposited upon the third screen 33, which is also supported by the frame 30. The tailings that discharge from the end of the screen 26 pass through a third set of rolls 34 34, while those from the screen 33 are fed to the rolls 35 35.

The stock that sifts through screen 33 is collected upon the bottom 36, which bottom slopes toward a middle discharge 37. The stock from said discharge 37, also that from the last two sets of rolls 34 34 and 35 35, is deposited upon the bolter 38. This is the same bolter which is described, shown, and claimed in Letters Patent No. 555,461, issued to me on the 25th day of February, 1896, to which reference is made, so as to save the necessity of further description in this specification.

The stock after passing through the bolter is discharged through the stub-pockets 41 into the elevator-boot 42, from whence it is carried by buckets up the elevator-leg 43 to the head 44, and from there is discharged through spout 45 into the adjacent purifier upon the shoe 46, which feeds to the purifier-sieve 47, Fig. 4. Thelatter has several grades of cloth increasing in coarseness toward'the tail of the sieve. The rotary fan 48 above the purifier creates a suction in a top chamber 49, which has openings to the interior of the purifier that are closed by the valves 50. These latter have cranked levers 51 extending out through the sides of the purifier-body for adjusting said valves and the usual means for holding a given adjustment. The valves are four in number, arranged in pairs at each end of the air-chamber. Partitions 52 52, extending. transversely at the upper end of the purifier, separate the air-flow to the two valves of each pair. The purpose of the fan and valves is to remove the bran and other light impurities from the stock by suction without taking out the middlings and flour-making portions.

The suctionwill be regulated to suit the varying conditions of the stock by opening the valves more or less, and the proper adjustment of the valves will be ascertained by the character of the deposit in suitable receivers located under the valve-openings. These receivers will preferably be in the form of drawers 54 and 55, in which the deposit will be collected and which by their withdrawal provide ready means for the examination of said deposit. One drawer of each pair stands normally on the opposite side of its adjacent par-' tition from the other drawer, as shown in Fig. 4. Door 90 is opened and the operator reaching in grasps the handle or knob of a drawer and removes it by drawing it out through opening left by door 90.

The stock from sieve 47 drops down upon the shoe 56. The latter has a reciprocatory movement supported by resting loosely upon the back wall of the roll-housing 57, said shoe being reciprocated by its connection through rod 58 with the swinging sieve-frame 47. The shoe is in three transversely-divided sections. The transverse dividing-lines are two in number, which are located one near each end of the shoe, and the separated ends are hinged to the body part by means of hinges that are located on said transverse dividing-lines, the front one, 59,at the discharge end being hinged to the body portion. Being of flexible material, it can be bent or set with relation to the .rolls to cause the stock to feed uniformly upon said rolls instead of running in streaks and bunches, as it often does without this corrective means. An adjustment thus given is held by providing separate fastenings for the opposite sides of the end sections.

The adjustment of the ends 59 and 63 of the shoe 56 will be better understood from the following directions: Suppose the stock were tailing nearly all at the right side of end 59. The fastening 60 at that end would be allowed to remain without any change; but the fastening 60 at the left side would be loosened and the shoe end pressed down toward the roll until the tailing becomes evenly distributed across the end, or it might be that the fastening on the right side would have to be loosened and the end of the shoe raised slightly, while the other side may or may not require lowering. The same adjustment of. end 63 would be made.

The stock tailing over the end of the sieve 47 passes through a strong air-current which aspirates the coarse middlings and blows the I light bran impurities therefrom into the chamber 61, from whence they drop down and missing the rolls discharge upon the scalper below without further grinding. The heavier stock drops upon the inclined board 62 and is deposited upon the adjustable end 63 of the shoe 56, from whence it is deposited upon the rolls 64 64 below.

Above and parallel with the board 62 is the board 65, which discharges upon the shoe This board is provided with a series of transverse openings, here shown as three in number, but a greater or less number might be used. These openings are provided with IIO valves (56, hinged at their lower edges to the board and held open by rods 67, which are secured by set-screws 68.

The purpose of the openings is to allow stock coming through the cloth sieve to pass through the board 62 and collecting on shoe 63 to discharge upon the rolls 6% 64: instead of going upon the shoe 56 and thence to the other set of rolls. The stock passing through sieve at? is coarser the nearer the end of the sieve is reached, and by having several valve openings in said board 65 I am enabled to catch different grades of the product through said openings.

The product for both sets of rolls passes down through the bolter 38 below, which is of the same construction as that described and patented to me in my Patent No. 555,461, previously referred to.

As fast as any part of the stock is reduced to the right grade of fineness it is discharged through suitable stub-pockets into the convcyers 71, where it is thoroughly mixed and blended and conveyed. to the storage or packing room.

A series of purifying-machines, here shown as three in number, are required to take the coarser stock after each reduction on to a final reduction, where the whole will be of the required fineness.

The drawings show two conveyer-boxes in which two grades of flour may be secured, or by throwing the entire product into one box a single grade which is a blend of the whole output will result.

For convenience in removing the rolls for re-dressing them or for making any required alterations or repairs the section 72 of the sides of the mills are removable down to the horizontal line through the axes of the rolls. W' hen these sections 72 are removed, ample clearance is obtained for the displacement or placing of the rolls.

Power derived from any suitable source is applied to the pulley 75. A belt 74. from this pulley passes over a pulley on the extended end of one of the shafts 7 6 and under a corresponding pulley on the other of said shafts 7 6 and then over an idler 75, whereby the respective pulleys on shafts T6 are driven in opposite directions. All of the shafts of the inner rolls on the same side of the mill are in alinement and are coupled together in the manner shown at '77 in Fig. 1. Theshafts of the adjacent outer rolls are connected with the inner shafts by gears, as shown. The shafts 76 have pulleys which are connected by belts T8 with pulleys on the shafts of the inner rolls of the top pair of rolls of the first mill. The inner end of one of these top rollshafts has a pulley which is connected by belt 79 with shaft 80, having eccentrics that vibrate the sieves a7. The elevator-shaft 14 is The elevator-shaft on the opposite side of the mill is driven from the near shaft by the crossed belt 82, Fig. 2.. The blower-shaft 83 may be driven by belt connection with either the main driving-shaft which carries the pulley 73 or with the elevator-shaft 14c. The bolters at the bottoms of the mills are rocked by belt connection from their pulleys 8 1 with pulleys on. shaft 85, and shaft 85 is driven by suitable belt connection with the fan-shaft 83, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. All of the shafts running longitudinally of the mill are connected by couplings between the individual mills, whereby the removal of portions of the machinery is possible without disturbing the balance.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a grain-reducing mill, a first pair of rolls, a hopper discharging thereto, a feederbox discharging into said hopper, a revolving feeder-roll at the outlet of the feeder-box a gate-valve formed by hinging a wall of the feeder-box and extending it obliquely to the roll, an eccentric-shaft bearing against the outside of the valve to control the opening between the gate and roll, a second pair of rolls, a first oblique screen, a second oblique screen sloping in the same general direction as the first, said screens being suspended by links which slope in opposite directions for the two screens, said first screen receiving the cracked stock from the first rolls and delivering it to pass through the second rolls, said first screen having a solid subbottom moving with the screen to catch the screenings, and discharging upon the second screen, and means for vibrating the screens.

2. In a grain reducing mill, a first pair of rolls, a hopper discharging thereto, means for regulating the discharge from the hopper to said first pair of rolls, a second pair of rolls, a first oblique screen, a second oblique screen sloping in the same general direction as the first but nearer horizontal, said screens being suspended by links which slope in opposite directions for the two screens,said first screen receiving the cracked stock from the first rolls and delivering it so as to pass through the second rolls, said first screen having a solid subbottom moving with the screen to catch the screenings and discharging upon the second screen and means for vibrating the screens.

3. In a grain-reducing mill, at first pair of rolls, means for feeding grain thereto in regu lated quantities, a second pair of rolls, a screen sloping from the bottom of the first to the top of the second pair of rolls, parallel oblique links sloping upwardly toward the first pair of rolls, suspending said screen, an eccentric and an eccentric-pitman to vibrate the screen and hold it with links in oblique position,asolid subbottom moving with said screen a second screen sloping in same direction as the first and a solid subbottom under the third screen having a discharge,

4. In a grain-reducing mill, a first pair of rolls, a second pair of rolls, and a third pair of rolls under the first pair, but not under the second, a first oblique screen and a second oblique screen sloping in the same direction as the first, said first screen receiving the cracked stock from the first rolls and delivering it to pass through the second rolls, said screens being suspended by links, those of one series sloping in opposite directions from those of the other, a solid subbottom moving with the first screen to catch the screenings and discharging adjacent to the second rolls upon the second screen, said second screen discharging into the third pair of rolls and means for vibrating both screens.

5. In a grain-reducing mill, apair of rolls, a link-suspended vibrating frame located below said rolls, a screen supported by said frame receiving the cracked grain therefrom and carrying it downwardly, a solid bottom under said screen to gather the screenings, a second screen supported by said frame receiving the tailings from said solid bottom said second screen sloping in opposite direction from the said first screen, a second pair of rolls to receive the tailings from the first-named screen and a third pair of rolls to receive the tailings from the second screen and a solid bottom under the second screen sloping toward a common middle discharge.

6. In a grain-reducing mill, a first pair of rolls, a second pair of rolls, a frame suspended by links which slope upwardly toward the first pair of rolls, means for vibrating the frame, a screen secured to the frame carrying the cracked grain in an upward direction from the first rolls and discharging between the second, a solid bottom secured to the frame under the screen having a discharge at its upper end adjacent to but not through the second rolls, a second frame suspended under the first by links which slope in an opposite direction from those of the first frame, means for vibrating said second frame, a screen supported by the second frame receiving the product from the second rolls and first screenbottom, a solid bottom under said second screen to gather the screenings said screen and bottom both sloping downwardly from said second rolls, a third screen also supported by said second frame and sloping in opposite direction therefrom and receiving the tailings from the bottom neXt above it, a solid bottom under said screen, a third pair of rolls receiv-. ing the tailings from the second screen, and a fourth pair of rolls to receive the tailings from the third screen.

7. In a grain-reducing mill, a first pair of rolls, a second pair of rolls, a frame suspended by links which slope upwardly toward the first pair of rolls, an eccentric-connected by a rod with the frame to vibrate it, a screen secured to the frame and sloping upwardly to carry the product from the first rolls to the second, a solid bottom carried under the screen by said frame discharging at its upper end near but not through the second rolls, a second frame suspended under the first from links which slope in oppositev direction from the first ones, an eccentric connected by a rod to vibrate the second frame, a screen receiving the product from the second rolls and screenbottom and having a solid bottom below it, a third screen carried by the frame having a solid bottom below which slopes toward a middle discharge, a third pair of rolls receiving the stock-tailing from the end of the second screen, a fourth. set of rolls receiving the stock-tailing from the third screen and a bolter to receive the product from the two last set of rolls and from the third screen-bottom.

8. In a purifier for a grain-reducing mill, a vacuum-chamber at the top having valveclosed openings in pairs into the body of the purifier, partitions in the purifier between each .pair of openings and drawers on each side of the partitions to catch samples of material drawn out through said openings, said drawers being adapted to be withdrawn longitudinally of the purifier-body for examination of their contents.

9. In a purifier for grain-reducing mills, a chamber at the top having openings in pairs into the body of the purifier, valves to regulate the extent of said openings, means for opening and closing the valves and for holding a given adjustment thereof, a fan exhausting the air from said chamber, partitions in the body of the purifier between each pair of openings and removable drawers which stand normally one on each side of said partitions under the openings to catch samples of the material passing out with the air.

10. In a purifier for a grain-reducing mill, a vertically-swinging vibrating sieve having cloth increasing in coarseness toward the tail of the sieve, a shoe under the sieve, an inclined board beginning below and near the tail of the sieve and discharging upon the near end of the shoe, a second inclined board above and near the first board and approximately parallel therewith having transverse openings and valves hinged at their lower edges, to regulate the size of said openings.

11. In a purifier for a grain-reducing mill, a vibrating sieve having cloth increasing in coarseness toward the tail, a shoe under the sieve, an inclined board beginning under and near the tail of the sieve and discharging upon the near end of the shoe, a second board above and approximately parallel with the first having a longitudinal series of openings, valves hinged at their lower edges to open and close said openings, stems to said valves extending through the first-named board and means for holding a given adjustment of said stems.

12. In a purifier for a grain-reducing mill, a vibrating sieve, a shoe under said sieve, reducing-rolls at the ends of the shoe and means for transversely adj usting the ends of the shoe to the rolls to make the discharge uniform.

13. In a purifier for grain-reducing mills, a purifier-sieve, a shoe under said sieve divided transversely into sections, the end sections being hinged to the inner body portion, a pair of rolls under the end, and means when the end is adjusted to or from the rolls for holding a given adjustment.

1% In a purifier for grain-reducing mills, a purifier-sieve, a shoe under said sieve divided transversely into three sections the end sections being hinged to the middle body portion, a pair of rolls under the ends of said end sections and means when the said shoesections are adjusted with the rolls for holding such given adjustment.

15. In a purifier for grain-reducing mills, a purifier-sieve, a shoe under said sieve divided transversely into three sections, the end sections being hinged to the middle body portion and being of flexible adjustable material, a pair of rolls under the ends of said end seetions and longitudinally'slotted plates secured to the sides of the shoe-sections and set-screws projecting from the purifier-walls through the slots to hold a given adjustment of said shoes.

16. In a purifier for a grain-reducing mill, a rotary fan drawing air from the top of the purifier-body, a sieve below the fan practically closing the body except at the tail of the sieve, a shoe under the sieve, air-inlets to the purifier-body between the shoe and sieve, an oblique board from the shoe nearly to the tail of the sieve forming therewith and with the end wall of the purifier an aspirator to separate the bran and middlings, and guides to direct the bran to one side for removal.

17. In a grain-reducing mill, a first reducer comprising two pairs of rolls, a vibrating screen carrying the cracked stock from the initial rolls to the second pair of rolls, a third and a fourth pair of rolls and additional vibrating screens, all of said screens having solid bottoms below to catch the screenings, of a purifier comprising a vibrating sieve, a shoe under said sieve, an exhaust-fan taking air through the purifier-walls between the shoe and sieve, reducing-rolls at the ends of the shoe.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Hartford City, Indiana, this 29th day of October, A. D. 1903.

DUDLEY ,R. MORRISON. [1,. s.]

I I/Vitnesses:

S. MAnLoN UNGER, J. A. MIN'rmcN. 

